grunnlína

Grunnlína is an Icelandic term meaning baseline or foundation line. It is a compound of grunn- meaning base or foundation and lín-a meaning line. In practice, grunnlína denotes a reference line or value that serves as a point of comparison for subsequent measurements or observations.

In statistics and experimental design, grunnlína is the baseline value or control condition used to assess the effect of an intervention. In surveying, construction, and cartography, it can designate a baseline line from which coordinates or elevations are measured. In typography or text layout, the term may appear in discussions of alignment to refer to the line on which letters rest, though specialized terminology for typography is common in Icelandic as well. The precise use of grunnlína varies by field, but the general principle is a stable reference against which change is evaluated.

In Icelandic sources, grunnlína appears in technical writings, statistical reports, and textbooks, often with field-specific qualifiers to clarify its meaning. As with many compound Icelandic terms, its meaning is clear from context but may be translated as baseline, reference line, or starting point in English.

See also: Baseline; Reference line; Baseline (statistics).